American Journal of Plant Biology 2019; 4(4): 96-104 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ajpb doi: 10.11648/j.ajpb.20190404.17 ISSN: 2578-8329 (Print); ISSN: 2578-8337 (Online) Use of Non-timber Forest Products of Plant Origin as Food and the Impact of Human Activities on Their Sustainability in the South West of the Central African Republic Guy Gildas Sosthène Zima 1, *, Fidele Mialoundama 2, Innocent Kossa 3 1Faculty of Sciences, Department of Plant Biodiversity, University of Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic 2Faculty of Sciences, Doctoral Training in Natural Sciences Agronomy, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Congo 3Higher Institute of Rural Development (ISDR), University of Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic Email address: *Corresponding author To cite this article: Guy Gildas Sosthène Zima, Fidele Mialoundama, Innocent Kossa. Use of Non-timber Forest Products of Plant Origin as Food and the Impact of Human Activities on Their Sustainability in the South West of the Central African Republic. American Journal of Plant Biology. Vol. 4, No. 4, 2019, pp. 96-104. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpb.20190404.17 Received : March 18, 2019; Accepted : June 16, 2019; Published : October 31, 2019 Abstract: Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) play a very important role in the food and nutrition security of developing countries and constitute a rich heritage that must be explored and brought to a higher level. In view of this issue, a study was carried out in 09 villages in the intervention zone of the Kadéi Forestry Society located in the South West of the Central African Republic (CAR). This study aims to identify NTFPs of plant origin with high food potential and the impacts of human activities on their sustainability. On the basis of various methodological approaches (ethno botanical surveys of 516 households, literature review, inventory technique...), data were collected, processed and analysed. The results obtained made it possible to carry out an inventory of 69 non-timber plant species belonging to 25 families and 2 large systematic groups namely Gnetophytes and Magnoliophytes. The relative use of plant organs showed that fruits (47%) are consumed more often followed by leaves (36%). The variables collected from the types of uses made it possible to identify 9 priority NTFPs and to highlight the gradual disappearance of 6 large NTFPs due to the effects of human activities directly affecting the ecological niche and the sustainability of these natural resources. In such a context where NTFPs remain a livelihood, the rigorous implementation of good farming practices can contribute to their rational use and conservation for the benefit of future generations. Keywords: NWFP Food Plant, Human Activities, Sustainability, Central African Republic These NTFPs play a very important socio-economic role in 1. Introduction ensuring food security and improving household income [3]. In the tropical and subtropical forests of Africa, Asia and About 72 percent of the Central African population is totally Latin America, the importance of non-timber forest products or partially dependent on it for their livelihood. Despite the (NTFPs) is well established [1]. It is widely known that these availability and enormous potential for NTFPs, it’s linked to products supplement household agricultural production by the variability of the country's ecosystems, the NTFP sub- providing essential nutritional commodities, medicinal sector remains informal and marked by a very low capacity products, fodder, etc. for valorising these products. On the systematic level, some NTFPs for food or consumables of plant origin are vital NTFPs are well known and inventor while a good majority biological resources for the people of the Central African remains unknown. These NTFPs are under increasing Republic. They are used in various ways, as daily sources of anthropogenic pressure, leading to dysfunction of terrestrial vitamins, lipids (fats and oils), proteins and minerals [2]. ecosystems and loss of biodiversity [4]. The current anarchic rate of use of these natural resources by rural and urban 97 Guy Gildas Sosthène Zima et al. : Use of Non-timber Forest Products of Plant Origin as Food and the Impact of Human Activities on Their Sustainability in the South West of the Central African Republic populations is increasing faster than the pace of their origin with high food potential and to evaluate the impacts of renewal. The factors which explains this include, but are not human activities on their sustainability. The hypothesis of limited to, overuse of fuel wood, logging, mining, bushfires, this study is that "human activities contribute to the drought, overgrazing, expansion of agricultural land, sustainable management of NTFPs of plant origin in the infrastructure development, urbanization, armed conflict South West of the Central African Republic". (case of CAR), etc. The improvement of the situation mentioned above 2. Methodology requires a large range of available scientific information on the use and impacts of human activities on the species 2.1. Study Area providing these NTFPs which unfortunately is not the case in CAR. It therefore seemed wise for us to collect and analyse The study was carried out in the concession of the forest reliable data on non-timber food products of plant origin company of Kadéi (SFK). It operates under the Exploration existing in the CAR; notably in the south-west of the country, and Development Permit 175 (PEA 175). The study area is and on the other hand to identify the threats to these geographically located between latitude 3° 40' and 4° 04' resources in order to propose measures of good practices north and longitude 15° 04'and 15° 32' east. The PEA 175 is leading to sustainable management of these natural resources. located in the south-western part of the Mambéré Kadei The problem statement of this study is centred around a prefecture, specifically in the sub-prefectures of Sosso single question: what is the real impact of human activities Nakombo and Dédé Mokouba. This prefecture covers about on the availability of Non-timber forest products of plant 30,150 km² with a total population estimated at 76495 origin used for food in the South West of the Central African inhabitants (RGPH, 2010), an average density of 12.1 Republic? inhabitants per km² and has about 75 villages. The objective of this study is to identify NTFPs of vegetal Figure 1. Geographical location of the study area. 2.2. Collection of Data households including 247 men and 269 women living in the nine (09) villages out of 75 that counts the PEA 175 of the It is based on two main aspects: SFK. These are Bamba, Djambala, M'bi, Binoumbi, Ngola, The first concerns literature review. In addition to Djilo megombang, Yandoa, Gnemele and Bayanga ngombé. identifying how previous work has addressed the issue of the These villages represent the area with the highest use and impact of human activities on the sustainability of production density of NTFPs where most of the Bantu and non-timber forest food products of plant origin in the Central indigenous populations live (29,486 people: Bamba Town African Republic, as well as elsewhere, but also to note the Hall, 2012). The Microsoft Excel software was used to tally shortcomings. the questionnaire and analyse the results on one hand; while The second component consisted of the collection of the Cultural Relevance Index (CPI) was also used to help field data that took place during the period from September identify species with high utilization value. These stages 2009 to February 2010 and their processing. A made it possible to assess the different modes of harvesting questionnaire designed according to the objectives of the and use of food NTFPs, as well as the ecological impacts on study was then administered (semi-directive interview) to these biological resources. collect social, cultural and economic data from 516 American Journal of Plant Biology 2019; 4(4): 96-104 98 2.3. Inventory of Non-timber Forest Products of Plant Amaranthaceae (3 species), Rubiaceae (3 species), Origin Sterculaceae (3 species), Clusiaceae (2 species). The inventory technique used by [5]. was adopted during Table 1. Inventory of major families of exploited food EFNLs. this work. It consisted of choosing plots with the help of the Systematic groups Family’s % Species % local community, and the criteria that allowed this choice Gnetophytes 1 4 1 1 were communicated to the local populations and authorities. Magnoliophytes 24 96 68 99 The work consists in choosing plots accessible in the Monocotyledon 9 36 16 23 different places (aged secondary forest, young secondary Dicotyledon 15 60 52 76 forest, old fallow, young fallow, coffee plantation, swamp). Total 25 100 69 100 Inventories of non-timber forest species (EFNL) are made by the plot method because they grow everywhere. The 3.2. Morphological Forms of Food NTFPs inventory system consisted of 14 plots with a surface area of 2500m² (50m × 50m), located in 7 types of land use (aged The non-woody food forest species identified during this secondary forest, young secondary forest, partly undisturbed work are grouped into four (4) morphological types (Table secondary forest, old fallow, young fallow, coffee plantation 2). Trees (50%) are the dominant morphological type, and swamp) representing the diversity of the ways of using followed directly by herbaceous plants (21%). The the spaces identified within the region. The delimitation and morphological types "lianas" and "shrubs" represent (10%) the orientation of the plots were made by the technique of the and (19%) respectively. These different morphological types compass. All food EFNLs with a diameter greater than 20 cm offer different food from NTFPs exploited by households were measured using a measuring tape. For herbaceous and surveyed to varying degrees to meet domestic demand and/or liana, their relative abundance was assessed using the semi- commercial value of the product.